Clamping operating-handle for adjusting-screws



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y W. LYMAN. GLAMPING OPBEATINGHANDLEFOR ADJUSTING SGRLWS.v No.l 395,985. Patented Jan. 8, 1889".

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W. LYMAN,

GLAMPING OPERATING HANDLE FOR ADJUSTING SGREWS. No. 395,985. Patented Jan. 8, .1889.

'//MQ wmyl ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM LYMAN, OF MIDDLEFIELD, CONNECTICUT.

CLAMPING OPERATING-HANDLE FOR ADJUSTING-SCREWS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 395,985, dated January 8, 1889.

Application filed .Tuly 10, 1888.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, VILLIAM LYMAN, of the town of Middleiielthin the State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvem ents in Clamping Operatiiig-Handles for Adj ustingscrews, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a combined operating-handle and holding-clamp for an adj Listing-screw, and is particularly adapted for use upon screws or threaded arbors which are journaled in iixed bearings and engaged with movable nuts or worm-wheels for the purpose of adj usting` parts of mechanism in different positions and securely fastening them in place.

The device may be used on. any adjusting screw or arbor which requires to be iirmly held where set-such as the thumb-screws of mathematical instruments, the adjustingscrews of 'machines, or arbors of dials-and may be employed as a nu t-lock for screws which do not adjust mechanism, but require to be occasionally turned or removed.

In this specification my invention is shown and described as applied to a wind-gage sight for fire-arms for the purpose of adjusting the sight laterally7 to compensate for the effect ofv wind upon the projectile; but I am aware that it may be employed for many other purposes. The sight here referred Ato forms the subject of United States Letters Patent No. 368,598, which were granted to me on August 2S, 1.837; and the object of the invention in this par ticular case is to provide an operating-handle for the lateral adj Listing-screw which may be folded-down against the base oi' the sight, so as not to project, and thereby incur the liability of being accidentally disarranged, and, also, which shall be adapted, when thus folded down, to forni a spring holding or locking clamp which will securely hold the screw stationary in any position.

The invention consists in a novel folding spring having its ends inserted in the screw head or flange in such manner as to exert their pressure longitudinally on the screw and thrust a friction-collar thereon against a iiXed part of the mechanism when the spring is folded down, and adaptedA when not folded down to serve as an operating head or handle without exerting any frictional effect on the Serial No. 279,516. (No model.)

screw, all as hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this speciiication, Figure l shows a wind-gage sight in side elevation having my improved operating' clamp-handle on the lateral adjusting-screw. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same with the base cut in vertical section on the line fr, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line y y, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of the adj Listing-screw shown in a section on the line y y, Fig. 1, of the base and with the folding clamping-handle in position for turning the screw. Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the clamping-handle folded down in position to clamp the screw in place. Fig. 6 is a similar view to Fig. 5, but

show the spring in uncompressed position. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a portion of' the base, viewed from the side opposite to that shown in Fig. 1, showing the journals of the adj usting-screw. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the operating clamp-handle detached from the screw. Fig. 9 is an end view of the operating handle and screw, viewed from the end opposite the screw-head and with the handle in the unclamped position. Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 9, but with the operating-handle in clamping position. Fig. 11 is similar to the preceding figure, but viewed from the opposite direction and having the handle turned down on the opposite side. Fig. 12 is a side view of a part of the adj ustingscrew with the operating-handle removed. Fig. 13 is an end view of Fig. 12. Figs. 14. and 15 are similar to the two preceding iigures, but show a screw having the spring-recesses slightly modified in construction. Fig. 16 shows a spring operating-handle of modified construction. Fig. 17 is an end view of a bolt with the operating-handle of the preceding iig-ure. Fig. 18 shows my improvement adapted as a nut-lock and applied to the nut instead of the screw-head. Fig. 19 shows a device for positively locking the handle, and Fig. 2O is an end view of the spring shown in Fig. 19. Fig. 2l is a spring-blank; and Figs. 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26 show different modifications of the operating-handle.

A full description of the sight shown in the annexed drawings may be found in the having the friction nut or collar removed to IOO Letters Patent No. 368,59S, above referred to', but it may be briefly described here as follows:

A conical eccentric, A, is journaled in the base B of the sight, and a circular rack, c, is cut on the forward side of the eccentric and is internieshed with an adjusting screw or worm, d, which is also j ournaled in the base and suitably secured from longitudinal movement, so that as it is revolved it turns the conical eccentric in the base. The sight-post e and its elevating mechanism are mounted in the eccentric at an angle to its axis, and itis therefore moved lateral to a vertical plane through the axis of the gun-barrel as itis revolved, because it describes a conical path, and the movement of the sight-aperture a* provides for wind-gage. It isparticularly essential that the head of the operating-screw d shall not project sufficiently to engage twigs and other objects which are liable to come in contact with a gun in ordinary usage, and also that the screw shall in no wise be liable to be accidentally turned to derange the windgage when it is ascertained, all of which features are admirably secured by the hereindescribed improvements.

Referring` to the drawings, d denotes the adjusting-screw, which is inserted transversely through the base B forward of the conical eccentric A, and has a journal, f, between the head f and the thread g, fitting freely in a corresponding circular hole, h, in that side of the base. Concentric with the hole h on the opposite side of the base is a larger hole, h2, having an annular shoulder, h', at the bottom where it joins the smaller hole, h, and a nut or collar, is screwed tightly on the end of the screw and fitted into this bearing, thus forming a journal for that end of the screw. The inner face of the nut, fitting against the shoulder h at the bottom of the bearing, and the face tunder thehead of the screw, fitting against the side 71.3 of the base, form shoulders to hold the screw in position endwise. The thread g of the screw is of ordinary construction, and it intermeshes with the teeth in the rack c of the conical eocentric A in the usual manner, as shownY in Fig. 3. In some mechanisms the screw will be engaged with a movable nut instead of a worm, and it will be understood that the form of the screw may be modified to adapt it to the different classes of machinery, the only essentials being that it shall be suitably journaled and provided with a frictional thrust collar to co-opei ate with the clamping spring operating-handle.

On the underside of the head or liange f of the screw are two opposite radial slots or recesses, Z, which extend from the periphery of the head inward toward the body of the screw.

'lhey are preferably made of dovetailed form or other shape which has its least width at the face of the screwnhead. The dovetailed form is shown in Figs. 4, 5, G, 9,10, 11,12, and 13, and Figs. 1l and l5 show a circular recess,

l, which is made by drilling entirely through the bolt and then milling away the face of the head until it intersects with the recess. Such recess will be analogous to a dovetailed slot. The recesses may be simply rectangular, as shown in Fig. 1S; but the other forms are preferable.

J represents the'l'olding and clamping operating-handle, which consists, siibstantially, of a loop or U-shaped spring of flat strip metal, having each leg or part m of the loop cutaway, forked, orbifurcated to pass over the head of the screw, and formed with an inwardLy-extending prong or toe, n, at cach end of cach fork, adapted to be received in the recesses l in the head of the screw. This construction forms, practically, two loop or U springs or elastic forks arranged parallel and coincident, one upon each side of the screw-head, joined by a tie or connecting-web, and cach having its ends extended inward parallel with each other and toward the opposite spring, these ends being received in the recesses in the screw-head and on which the handle swings. If the prongs n on one loop are made sufliciently long, the other loop may be dispensed with, and in such ease the loop could readily be made of wire, as shown by J in Fig. 1U, and having one of its prongs, n', passed clear through the bolt-head and slightly turned over on the end the better to hold the spring in place; but the double loop J, made of lfiat spring material bent into a loop and cutaway to receive the screw-head, is preferable.

The ends of the spring J that is, the inwardly-projecting prongs n-ma-y readily be inserted in the recess in the screw-head by laying the spring in its folded-down position, as shown in Fig. (l, and pushing the screw into its journals in thehase, when by turning on the nut 'i on the end of the screw the spring will be compressed into place, as shown in Fig. 5. The spring will then be in operation, as shown in Figs. l, 3, and 5, and exert its force between the head of the screw and the face 7b3 of the base B, thereby pressing the face of the friction collar or nut Z against its seat 7L in the base and imposing sufficient friction thereon to hold the screw against any dcrangement that it would ordinarily be subject to.

It will readily be understood that when the operating-handle J is swung up away from the base the prongs n turn in the recesses in the screw the same as if they were journals, and when the handle is brought up into the plane of the screw, as shown in Fig. 4that is, vertical to the plane of the screw-headthe prongs will simply press against the side of the recess and not exert any pressure tending to clamp the screw. The screw will then be perfectly free to turn in its journals, and the folding spring, when in that position, forms an admirable head or handle by which the rotation of the screw may be conveniently accomplished. The object of forming the recesses Z of dovetailed shape is to prevent any IOO liabilityfof the prongs n from dropping outv from the recesses if there should be enough play between the screwhead and base to permit this. iVith the recesses made most narrow at the face of the head j' the spring-handle will not fall out of them when folded up into position to act as a handle, even if the screw is taken out of its bearings.

The folding spring J will impose an endwise thrust on the screw whichever side of the head it may be folded down upon, for it will be seen that so long` as the spring lies down in the plane ot' tlieliead of the screw one pair of the prongs n will press against the upper sides of the recesses and the oppositie pair of prongs will rest against the base of the sight, and thus the screw will be forced endwise. ln order to prevent the prongs ln. from wear,- iiig the face of the base, that portion of the surface upon the base where they bear around the hole 7L may be case-hardened, or a thin hardened washer may be placed on the screw between the prongs n, and face of the base to forni a bearing for the prongs and resist abrasion.

It is sometimes very convenient to have the spring adapted to be folded down upon either side of the screw headas, for instance, in the sight shown the screw is arranged near the edge of the base, and if the spring only :folded one way it would sometimes coine in a position not over the base, but projecting therefrom and in an uiipro- 'tected position. A graduated scale inay be marked on the base, if required, to denote the number of degrees through which the screw is turned, or, it' itis desired to positively lock the operating-handle, it may be formed with a projection o1' s'op, lu?, on one side, as shown in Figs. 19, 20, and 2], bent down below the body of the spring .l1 and adapted to enter suitable cavities, n3, in the base of the sight or fixed part of whatever mechanism the screw is applied to. Fig. 2l shows the forni of a blank, J 5, cut out to forni the spriugbybeing afteiww'ai'd bent into shape, and the lockingstop n2 is also shown iii thati'igure; but ordinarily the blank will be made without the stop.

lt will be understood that the shape and also the construction ot the spring-handle may be varied somewhat without departing from the nature of my invention. lt maybe made of a piece of sprin wire or rod, J, bent into the shape shown iii Fig. 22, and then having each end split or sawed down to form a spring-fork, fr, as shown in Figs. 23 and 25, which are respectively end and plan views ofFig. 22; or, if desired, one end only of the wire may be split, as shown iu Fig. 2G, which forms a single fork or loop, ri, ou one side of the screw-head, the other end of the wire serving as a journal and also holding the device in place. The spring may also be made by twisting two wires, m", together and bending their ends around, as shown in Fig'. 24, to form the elastic loops h4 and the inwardlyprojecting prongs n4. The form ofthe journals and bearings of the adj usting-screw may also be varied withoutchanging the nature of iny invention.

The screw here shown is best for the purpose intended-that is, for ad jusiiug-screws of this class of sights; but in machinery the adj usting-screw will frequently be j ournaled in half-boxes or ordinary split bearings, and the friction thriiist-eollar will then preferably be made integral wi th the screw; or, if the j our nals of the screw are turned smaller than the thread thereof, a suitable thrust-collar might thereby be conveniently provided, consisting of one ol' the shoulders thus formed by turning into the screw; or a groove may be turned in the screw to form a thrust-collar, the iixed part which receives the screw being in each case correspondingly7 formed to iit the thrust-collar of the screw.

It is immaterial what the shape of thehea-d of the screw is, solong as it contains the recesses for the reception of the prongs on the 9o end of the spring.

There it is desirable to secure any rotatable part in any iixed position this combined operating-handle and clamp may be employedas, for instance, upon the arbor of a register- 9 5 ing-dial or of a wheel which requires to be held in various positions. This folding spring operating-handle may also be applied to a nut, as well as to the head of a screw, where a bolt or nut has to be frequently removed from its place. Fig. 1S shows such construction, the bolt fr being secured through two flanges, s s, for coupling them together.r The nut t is formed with the recesses Z2 to receive the spring J, and the head ti of thebolt forms the thrust-collar, which is pressed against the iiange s by the spring J, thus producing the friction required, or, if the frictional element not required, the spring acts as a device to hold the flanges .5' together the same as a nutv alone or au auxiliary jam or set nut.

`\\'hen the recesses in the head of the screw are formed by drilling, they may be drilled in far as the body of the bolt or arbor, or the drill may be run clear through the screw, thus formiiig one recess only; also, the thread of the screw in the drawings maybe made to :till the hole 7i through the base of the sight, thus dispensing with the necessity of a journal for the nut i, the screw being in that case made to proj ectthrough the base, with the n ut i.' bearing against the face ol' the base.

I therefore claiml. ln mechanism operated or adjust-ed bya rotatable arbor or part, the combination of the arbor provided with a frictional thrust collar or lfiange and a head having a recess or recesses in its face extending from the periphery inward, the vfixed bearing for ieeeiv-"r-r ing the arbor, and xed faces or shoulders in juxtapositionV with and corresponding to the working-faces of the arbor-head andthe frictioiial thrust-collar, and an operating clamphandle consisting, essentially, of a forked,

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looped, or U-shaped spring having' its ends received or journalcd and held in the recess or recesses of the arbor-head and adapted as the spring is swung' around the recess as a pivotal point to press against the arbor-head, and corresponding' lixed bearing to clamp the frictional thrust-collar to its seat or to bear ag'ainst the sides of the reces to release the arbor', for the purpose specified.

In mechanism operated or adj usted by an adjListing-screw, the combination of the adj listing bolt or screw provided with journals, a frictional thrust-collar, and a collar or lian ge having recesses or slots in its face extending from the periphery inward toward the body oi the screw, the lixed bearings for receiving the journal or journals ol' the screw, and faces or radial bearings Corresponding' to and in juxtaposition with the screw-head and thrustcollar, and a looped or U-shaped spring having' each leg' or part of its loop forked or bifurcated to swing over the serew-heznl and formed with an inwardly-prejecting prong at each end oi' each fork adapted to be received in the recesses in the screw-head and bear against the` sides thereof when the spring is vertically over the screw-head and to press between the screw-head and its fixed seat when the spring is folded down in the plane of the screw-head, thereby clamping' the frictional collar to its seat to hold the screw stationary.

3. In mechanism operated or adjusted by an adjusting-screw, the combination of the adj listing-screw provided with journals, a frictional thrust-collar, and a head or iiange having' opposite recesses or slots extending` from the periphery inward toward the body of the screw, the fixed bearings for receiving' the journal or journals oi' the screw, and faces or radial bearings corresponding to and in juxtaposition with the'working-faces of the screw-collars, and the looped or U-shaped springs arranged one on each side of the screw-head and joined by a connecting-web or tie part forming a handle and having at each end of each loop an inwardly-projecting prong or point, which prongs are adapted, when the sjin'ings are compressed, to be received in the recesses under the head of the screw and clamp the screw upon its frictional seat or releaseit therefrom as the handle is folded down in the plane of the screw-head,v

having' opposite recesses or slots in its face' extending' from the periphery inward and being enlarged back from the face of the head, fixed j ournal-bearings for receiving the arbor, and lixed shoulders corresponding to the face of the arbor-head and the friction-shoulder, and an operating clamp-handle consisting, essentially, of a double-looped spring' having a loop fork or bight on each side of the arborhead joined by a connecting-web, and the points of cach loop being bent inward and received in the corresponding recess of the head, substantially in the manner and forthc purpose specified.

5. In mechanism operated by an ad justing-screw, the combination of an adjustingscrew provided with journals, a frictional thrust-collar, and a head or flange having opposite recesses or slots Z on the underside thereof, fixed bearings 7L 712, for receiving the journals of the screw, and faces or radial bearings h h, corresponding' with and contiguous to the bearing-shoulders of the screw, and a looped or U-shaped spring,J, having' each leg' or part of the loop forked or bifurcated to swing` over the screw-head and formed with an inwardly-projecting prong' or proj ection, u, on each end of each fork adapted to he received in the recesses of the screw-head, and whereby the tension of the spring is adapted to be exerted between the screw-head and a fixed bearing or upon the respective sides of the-recesses as the handle is folded down in the plane of the screw-head or swung into a position vertical thereto, substantially in the manner and for the purpose specified,

G. In a wind-gage sight for fire-arms, the combination of the sight-base B, the conical eccentric A, having a circular rack on its periphery and seated in the base carrying the sight-post, the adj listing-screw d, j ournaled in the base of the sight with its threads intermeshing with the rack of the conical eccentric and provided with the friction collar or nut 11T, and the head f, having' the recesses on its inner side, and the combined folding and clamping operating-handle consisting, essentially, of a iiat looped spring, J, having each part of its loop forked or spread to admit the body of the screw-head, and formed with an inwardly-extending prong' or projection, n, on each end of each part of the loop, which projections are received in the recesses in the screw head, whereby the operating handle may be turned on the prongs as a journal and swung' from a position at right angles to the screw-head down into the plane thereof to release or clamp the screw, substantially in the manner and for the purpose speciiied.

WILLIAM LYMAN.

'W itnesses:

LYMAN A. MILLS, IsA'DELL L. Cook.

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